Sometimes, a person can experience swollen upper eyelids. This is quite unsightly and could really invited unwanted stares, especially if the patient comes in close proximity to other people. Still, even if the problem is a annoying, it is often just harmless and does not cause a lot of pain. The patient will feel a little discomfort and the spot could feel painful when touched.
Also, swelling of the upper eyelids will not interfere with normal eyesight although it might feel a little weird or awkward to know that something is protruding from the eyelids.
Upper Eyelid Swelling and Pain
- If the patient experiences swelling of the upper eyelids that causes pain, then the inflammation could be severe. Still, pain is subjective so that what one person considers as painful might not be painful to another.
- Still, it is always better to consider going to a doctor for treatment to ensure that the patient will not experience complications.
Causes Of Swollen Upper Eyelids
There are many possible causes for the swelling and some of these are:
- Exposure to pollutants and toxins. These can cause irritation that could, in turn, cause swelling.
- Stye. This is a bacterial infection that will cause a bump or swelling at the upper eyelid. This is often not painful unless the infection is severe and the stye becomes filled with pus.
- Stress and eye strain. Using the eyes to read in dim light or poor sleep quality can cause eye strain which could lead to swelling.
- Chalazion. This is inflammation of the eyelids that appears to be similar to stye though these two are not the same. Chalazion is caused by the blockage of the small tear glands just below the upper eyelids.
Treatment For Swelling Of Upper Eyelid
Because the swelling is a potential embarrassment and could cause pain, the patient often wants to have the swelling treated as soon as possible. Such treatments include:
- Using a warm compress on the affected area for several minutes.
- Still, the actual treatment will depend on what the original reason for the inflammation is.
- Some of the possible causes of the condition may be treated by using eye drops though other medications may be prescribed by eye specialist.
- The doctor may also prescribe medications to treat the infection and inflammation.
- Rarely will the patient need any operation to treat the swelling.